Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/2/1/10
Page: 7 verso
Description
Kitson's visit to the V&A museum
Kitson visited the V&A museum and met with curator Martin Hardie who showed him a collection of drawings bequeathed to museum by Lady Powell. The collection included 3 Cotman's - Ouse Bridge, Dieppe from the Heights and Abbatial House.
Date: 1934-1935
Transcription
Went to the V&A museum, where Hardie and Doug showed me a collection of drawings bequeathed to the museum by the late Lady [Richard Douglas] Powell. 3 Cotmans
(1) Ouse Bridge "J.S. Cotman 1803". sepia, c.9x14
V&A has "No.2 Ouse Bridge July 5-1803 - pencil.
B.M has Ouse Bridge York. July 6-1803
"July 7-1803 - Mr Munn and Mr Cotman came"
Brandsby Diary-
(2) Dieppe from the Heights -"J.S. Cotman 1823"
Watercolour and reed pen - the same as the other version in the V&A but much paler in colour - altogether perferable.
(3) abbatial house, Rouen - in reverse from R.J. Colman's version and in recto is Mrs Alston's watercolour - 169/16 x 23 - as Lady Powell was a granddaughter of archdeacon Burney - Exhd by Cotman at Norwich 1824 - "94 abbatial House of the Abbey of St Ouen, at Rouen, taken down in 1817- Painted for the Rev: C.P. Burney D.D. Much brown ink, crimson curtains to window.
[See Rev: a.E. alston's note on his version (16 1/4 x 22 1/4) in recto with this, and R.J. Colman's in [reverse] dated 1825 - alban's is dated "1824-5"-
In the same collection is a pen and wash drawing of the Piazza at Venice, a replica of the 'Thomas Patch' drawing, recently acquired by Parker for the ashmolean museum - This drawing is ascribed to Constable.